Question re diabetes in children

[GingerIvy]

I wasn't sure if I should post this in here or the diabetes section, so I've posted in both. This may be nothing to be concerned about, but my 8yo has been quite thirsty lately, drinking quite a bit more than usual. He has also been urinating a lot more frequently, getting up at night a few times. His appetite has been a bit off the last few months - nothing drastic, but just "off" - which I know is hard to explain. He's not having any specific UTI symptoms (such as lower abdominal discomfort or pain/burning on weeing). This has been going on for awhile now,possibly a couple months if it goes back to when his appetite changed a little. He's not lost any weight that I can see (weighing him is a struggle - he's autistic and doesn't stand still on the scale).

Anyway, we have a massive family history of diabetes in my family, including a number that are insulin dependent. I made a routine appointment with the GP but it's not until the 29th (soonest they could get him in for routine appointment). Should I be taking him in sooner, or using the next 2 weeks to note any possible things that might be related and jot them down, watching what he eats, just in case? Is this even a concern? I don't want to ignore something important, but neither do I want to be alarmed over nothing.

He will NOT cooperate for a blood test, so I anticipate an almighty shrieking session and the need for him to be held to get that done. I was hoping desperately that it could be checked by finger stick, but is that ridiculously naive?

Nope. No wipes, no sugary stuff. He had lunch around 11am. Only thing after lunch he had was water. He used the toilet and then washed his hands right before we left for surgery at 1215pm. We walked straight to the surgery. Finger stick done about 115pm at GP office.

A friend has pointed out that perhaps testing him at home a few times this week would be helpful so that we can do it on his terms at home so it's less scary, so when he goes to the clinic, he doesn't panic and have a meltdown again.

Do you live near a late night chemist? The accu check monitors are available at most Lloyd's/Boots you need the unit and a small pot of strips that match the machine you have bought.

If you are worried do ring 111 or go back -

No. I'll have to get it first thing tomorrow.

Okay. Ds ate a meal of crunchy tacos (corn tortillas, cheese, minced beef, black olives) and water about an hour ago. Tested just now at 5.3.

So that's okay.

Just do a few more - 2 hrs post eating, and a random one or two -

There was a post recently about a girl that got diagnosed then it changed as only one random high -

Was your son viral or anything else going on, had eaten anything different?

Nope. Not ill. We went in because he'd been thirsty all the time and weeing a lot. Big family history of diabetes so felt it needed to be checked.

As we home ed, ds2 has decided this is a great learning opportunity. He was looking up information on diabetes, and he's decided he wants to test tomorrow when he first wakes up, then again 2 hours after he has eaten breakfast. I'm glad he finds it interesting. hahaha But at least he's not overly worried this way.

feet sorry - not eaten anything unusual either. He had (gluten free) toast with strawberry jam,and a juice box of orange juice 2 hrs prior to the high reading.

First morning test was 4.8

He's eating, and then we'll test again in 2 hours.

Feeling better about getting the meter - he was fine testing today (no meltdown, no fuss) and is interested in how it works and wants to try doing it himself at the 2 hr test. This not only puts my mind at ease (as the results so far are fine), but also because it will make the test at the clinic in a few weeks easier for him.

Good luck for the clinic, for what it's worth the orange juice and Jam could send levels high, I appreciate 19 is higher than the norm but orange juice and Jam could push a random high.

Some children are very sensitive to different sugars - some sugars in fruit etc so you may choose to replicate what he had on the first day then test?

Hope all goes well.

That's what we've done this morning. He had the toast with jam and orange juice. Just waiting for 2 hours to test now.

Thanks.

Okay. Had to test as he wanted to eat again. 1 hr and 40 minutes after prior meal. Result 8.0

On the higher side but the more I've read about this it's perhaps not as high as some people would have you believe.
Before continuous glucose no one really knew what blood sugars in non diabetics did but actually it seems it isn't that uncommon for brief rises above 7.8.

Incidentally jam on his hands - even a tiny amount - could have accounted for a 19.5 reading. I ate something with ketchup once, washed hands, checked and was 20+! Washed hands again and was 6ish.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2892065/#!po=44.6429

Waiting That's one of the reasons I wanted to test at home.This gives us a much clearer view of what's going on.

I'm just not a huge fan of sending an 8yo home from hospital with directions of "well, keep an eye on him and if he suddenly gets really ill, bring him back in."

No, I agree completely.

Oh good. Those numbers are reassuring.

Yep. Going to test a few more times over the next couple days. As long as they look good, I'll just wait for his clinic appointment.

Thing is presumably developing diabetes doesn't happen overnight? Perhaps this random spiking is what happens leading up to it?

The drinking could be a sensory related issue I suppose?

Yeah, I just don't know. It's been going on a little over a month.I waited a bit in case it was just a temporary thing, but still going on.

Developing t1 diabetes is quite slow - the pancreas copes until quite a high percentage of beta cells are dead. Think it's about 80%? It tends to cope and then not cope and then cope and then not cope. It can take a while. Drs will tell you it is sudden and generally once symptoms are present progression is quite fast but it can take a couple of years of blood sugars being a bit off before frank diabetes develops.
Was your son drinking a lot yesterday? Because it sounds like sugars were normal so if he was still drinking a lot there may be another cause. Usually thirst wouldn't become apparent until sugars are in the teens and then would also be coupled with weight loss and hunger and tiredness etc. However I believe thirst is the first symptom to appear.
The 'best' time to check, I was told, is the evening as that is when the pancreas becomes sluggish having been called on all day. Generally they advise that 7.8 is the highest reading acceptable for a non diabetic but I think since non diabetics started wearing glucose monitors they can see that some people experience higher short lived peaks than this.

He wasn't drinking as much today,but then we've been out and about doing things and he hasn't had the opportunity. I'll keep an eye on it.Thanks.